Management Psychology

Author: Lu Shengzhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-07-01
Features: Management psychology is still a relatively new discipline in China. Since the Ministry of Machine Industry proposed the importance of research in management psychology in 1980, the Department of Psychology at Hangzhou University has been using this book as a textbook, offering short training courses for management personnel and teachers from enterprises, institutions, and research organizations under the Ministry of Machine Industry, Textile Industry, Nuclear Industry, and Electronics Industry. The book primarily introduces theories and research findings of management psychology from abroad, while also appropriately reflecting the management experiences of Chinese enterprises. The author followed the principle of first introducing foreign theories and research findings, followed by critiques, analyzing the lessons and experiences that Chinese enterprise management should absorb from them. The purpose of separating introduction and critique is to provide readers with a more comprehensive understanding of these theories and research. Developing a management psychology with Chinese characteristics requires tremendous effort. Many issues in management psychology still lack systematic research in China, and the research findings from abroad also need to be systematically verified. The rich management experiences of Chinese enterprises also require systematic summarization from the perspective of psychology. We believe that through the joint efforts of Chinese psychologists, researchers in related disciplines, and business managers, a management psychology system that aligns with China's national conditions can be established.
This book is written for the management personnel of industrial enterprises and other departments. Since its publication in 1985, it has been widely welcomed by readers and received strong positive feedback, with 11 reprints and a total distribution of over 300,000 copies—far more than we had anticipated when writing it. Although we published a second edition with minor revisions in 1988, the changes were minimal. Thirteen years have passed since 1985, during which time significant new research findings in management psychology have accumulated both domestically and internationally. Therefore, it is necessary to make some additional supplements and revisions to this book.
The main changes and supplements in this revision include the following. In Part I, significant modifications have been made to the development of management psychology, primarily introducing the recent research developments in American management psychology over the past decade and analyzing the lessons and experiences we should learn from them. Additionally, an overview of the research findings in Chinese management psychology over the past decade has been provided. Furthermore, in the chapter on research methods, an introduction to behavioral measurement has been added, including concepts, principles, and variable handling methods, starting from the concept of models. In Part II and Part III, some new research findings have been included, especially in chapters on personality, perception, attitudes, needs and motivation, and conflict, where additional materials closely related to management practice have been added. In Part IV, two new chapters have been added: Organizational Culture and Work Stress. Organizational culture emerged as a new topic in organizational behavior within management psychology in the 1980s. Over the past decade, research on this topic has made significant progress, particularly in cross-cultural studies, which has become a hot topic in management psychology. This is clearly due to the demands of the global economic development trend. Therefore, this book includes a dedicated chapter with substantial content to systematically introduce the research findings on this topic.
Work stress has also become a topic of increasing concern for management psychologists and managers in recent years. With the intensification of competition in the market economy and the accelerating pace of life and work, management personnel and employees are increasingly feeling increased pressure, leading to stress. How to adopt appropriate measures from physiological, psychological, and behavioral perspectives to eliminate or alleviate stress has become a widely discussed issue. Thus, a dedicated chapter has been added to discuss this topic. Additionally, in the chapter on leadership psychology, various new theories on leadership proposed after the 1980s have also been briefly introduced.